In July 2022 LIDA hosted a LIDA – Alan Turing Institute Data Centre Collaboration Event led by Turing Fellow and Professor of Technologies & Informatics, Susan Grant-Muller. Many of society’s most significant problems are multifaceted and as such require analysis of multiple rich data spanning many sectors and sources to generate insights and potential policy solutions. The LIDA event brought together currently disparate research teams from across the UK data infrastructure landscape, with the goal to explore how collaboration could create synergies and engender societal benefits.

Teams discussed the challenges, opportunities and next steps needed for improved data collaboration. During the event specific case examples of how collaboration could serve to improve big societal challenges, as well as examples of synergies arising from hands-on co-analysis of currently detached data, were considered. Ideas and dialogue initiated at the event are leading to co-authored outputs and improved longer term networks between those working with rich data.

Key event collaborators included Alison Heppenstall, Professor of Geocomputation at Glasgow, and Rachel Franklin, Turing Fellow and Professor of Geographical Analysis at the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, Newcastle.